Beerlandia: Snow Beer (Draft 8°)

This week, we’re finally tackling the most consumed beer in the world. I think most of my fellow barflies back in the States would be surprised to learn that the true King of Beers is a brew they’ve never heard of. By sheer volume, China’s Snow Beer wears that crown. Or, as we expats sometimes affectionately call it, Mons.

Weighing in at a whopping 2.5% ABV, Snow is a true representation of the drinking culture in China. Although craft beer and brewpubs are picking up steam among China’s middle class, almost all drinking is done exclusively at dinners. The watery lightness of Snow makes it an ideal choice for washing down hearty Northeastern cuisine. Let’s crack it.

Beer: Snow Beer (Draft 8°)
Brewery: China Resources Breweries Ltd
Country: Shenyang, China
Style: European Pale Lager
ABV: 2.5%
Beerlandia Advisory: Have a seat, liver. Bladder, you’re up! 

The most consumed beer in the world pours a sickly pale, very unimpressive yellow straw color. There is a razor-thin white head that I had to race to capture on camera before it quickly vanished. If it’s hot outside, it looks like it will do the job, but it must be cold, which is not always the case in China. Although there’s an abundance of enticing bubbles streaming from the bottom, I can tell you this beer has as much in common with champagne as Bob Dylan does with Ariana Grande.

“Underneath the smell of watery beer is a whisper of wet dog.”

Chinese beers often have me accidentally dipping my nose into the suds to get any aroma at all, and Snow is no different. There is a very slight malt aroma, but it’s difficult to add any nuance to that. There are no hops to be found. Even the smell of an actual handful of hay would be more pronounced. Underneath the smell of watery beer is a whisper of wet dog. Let’s give it a chance. It must be the most quaffed beer for a reason, right?

Well. The sweetness of the malt is there, accompanied by a generic taste of grain. It’s not offensive but painfully bland and uninteresting. The taste is exactly what you would expect from a Chinese beer that knows its audience and is after as much of that market share as they can get their chopsticks on. The body is light and pairs well with the taste to make it the perfect delivery system for a Dongbei dinner or roadside barbecue.

This is Chinese drinking culture in a can.

Although my review may paint a bleak picture, don’t get me wrong. There is a time and a place for Mons. Not every beer needs to be complex to be somewhat enjoyable. If you have an abundance of ice-cold Mons at hand with good food and good friends, you’re going to have a good time. That’s how people drink in China and that’s what this beer was designed for. On that scale, it gets full marks IF it’s ice-cold. A room temperature Snow is like liquefied wet dog, which pairs perfectly with your dog stew if you’re cracking this open in China. ◉

Written by Seth Barham